[bantejas]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

Hi everyone,

Below is the itinerary planned for the uttranchal hills. Your comments are most welcome on same. Anything particular I should keep in mind when taking a Gypsy to hills?

June 12 : Rishikesh - Rudraprayag – Joshimath – govindghat – gangharia (268 km drive & 14km trek) - Should be out by 5 in the morning to make it possible. This is going to be the toughest day and I think we are most probably gonna settle at govindghat.

OT for this thread, but I am not sure that this can be done in a day. It takes anywhere between 10-12 hrs to reach Gobind Ghat. I believe you should start the next day. Also, when planning for any trip in Uttaranchal, please keep a buffer of two days. Believe me that place is literally unpredictable! While your near gobind ghat, why don't you go to Badarinath as well?! hardly takes a couple of hrs (but yeah, heavily landslide prone place it is).

Tejas

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by codelust

Is this a good time to head in that direction? I'm hearing about a lot of landslides, stranded travellers and even a death. Once the monsoons start, that route is always dicey. Do be careful.

Woman killed, traffic hit by landslides, cloudburst - Hindustan Times

Thanks Codelust. I know this is probably the worst time to go but we are in a group and our leaves could overlap for this window only. I am keeping my finger crossed. A 4 WD gypsy helps the confidence .

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Hope you meant July in your post.

Day 2 - 268 Km drive on hills during monsoon and a trek of 14 km is taking too much of stress and risk. Take a break at Joshimath instead.

Originally Posted by bantejas

OT for this thread, but I am not sure that this can be done in a day. It takes anywhere between 10-12 hrs to reach Gobind Ghat. I believe you should start the next day. Also, when planning for any trip in Uttaranchal, please keep a buffer of two days. Believe me that place is literally unpredictable! While your near gobind ghat, why don't you go to Badarinath as well?! hardly takes a couple of hrs (but yeah, heavily landslide prone place it is).

Tejas

Sourabh / Tejas - I know day 2 is next to impossible but if we don't do it we will loose one full day. Maybe we will push further to Rishikesh on first day.
we are ready for all eventualities. This shall be the ideal itinerary, but for all we know we might not be able to make it to Joshimath only.
And yes ofcourese I meant July. Silly me.

cheers
vishwas

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

Hi everyone, Below is the itinerary planned for the uttranchal hills.

Are you back from your trip? please post your experience.

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Are you back from your trip? please post your experience.

Oh yes. Was back last Saturday. Had a blast on the trip.

Just been hammered with work to be active here. Allow me to update this thread this weekend with pics.

cheers
vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

OK so here is a quick summary.

Total Kms covered - 1350 kms
Total days of the trip - 10

At the last moment the haridwar - rishikesh route was dropped in favour of meerut - bijnore - kotdwar route fearing kanwar movement. It turned out to be an excellent decision with roads upto kotdwar being absolutely empty and well tarred.

Route taken -

New Delhi - Meerut - Bijnore - Najibabad - Kotdwar - Pauri - Rudryaprayag - Joshimath - Govindghat - Ghangharia - Valley of Flowers - Ghangharia - Hemkund - Ghangharia - Govindghat - Joshimath - Auli - Ranikhet - Almora - Mukteshwar - Bhimtal - Nainital - Haldwani - Muradabad - New Delhi.

Will post day by day log with pics as the time permits. In the meantime munch on a teaser.

cheers
vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Preparation for the trip.

We had not tested the vehicle enough to embark on a long treacherous trip. One of the reasons that initial plan of leh was dropped in favour of VoF. Now we had a 3 point agenda to address and too little time.

Problems

1. Comfort - There had to be a front facing seat at rear and something need to be done about front seats.
2. Entertainment - On such a long trip one cant do without music.
3. Reliability - All the small pending issues of the vehicle had to be addressed.

Solutions

1. The rear front facing seat of my beloved jeep (A qualis 3rd row seat) was pulled out and mounted in Gypsy. It just about manages to fit here. We spent almost a day on this and fabricated the mounts such that original mounts on seat are retained. This gives the flexibility of swaping the seat between the jeep and Gypsy by unscrewing only two nuts, and a single person can do it in 20 mins. Also the seat backrest can be dropped and the whole thing flipped up against backs of front seats to use the loading bay both in jeep as well as gypsy.
   Only glitch is that we set the rear seat too far and the rear legroom now is almost 3 feet! One can fully extend the legs and still cannot touch the front seats. Maybe I'll move it front by a feet.
   The front seats were removed and stripped to their frames. The covers were washed. Frames needed some repairing. The foam was also patched and fresh 1inch high density foam was layered over it and seat covers pulled back again. The drop and slide feature of left seat was not working which was now needed with front facing seats at the back. The old system was reset and lubricated.
   Now the front seats have good support and rear access is very easy, unlike my jeep.
   All above was DIY
   
   
2. The amp and speakers (mounted in a movable mdf box) from my jeep were pulled out and installed in gypsy. The amp was mounted on a plyboard and tucked below the driver seat. This system is also swap-able between jeep and gypsy. The speaker box was initially placed behind the seat, but since there were only 3 of us on the trip we kept it between the front and rear seat and used it as a foot stool throughout the trip. Again all DIY
   
   
3. It was decided to give the gypsy to Amanpreet from Auto attitudes for a thorough service, clutch overhaul and general checkup. I called Aman and discussed this who very patiently answered my zillion questions. I took an appointment and a friend of mine took over the vehicle to his workshop. Unfortunately it turned out to be some religious occasion / festival and most of his workers dint turn up and he had to return the gypsy. He did take a test drive and commented on clutch needing an overhaul, wandering of vehicle to be looked into, transference to be opened for the whining noise apart from regular service.
   With us being hard pressed for time decided to give the vehicle to my regular FNG who services my other car. Provided him all the part from Kashmiri Gate and he did a satisfactory job. Following were attended to.
   a. Clutch overhaul - Clutch plate (ceekay), pressure plate (ceekay), release bearing (mgp) and flywheel (mgp) were changed
   b. All transmission oil changed - both differential, gearbox and transfercase oil were changed. Now 4x4 engages effortlessly.
   c. Vehicle serviced and engine oil changed
   d. Front headlamps changed to clear lens with 100/90 bulb.
   e. One full transparent silicon tube was used to plug all leaks of the gypsy.
   f. Fresh coolant put in radiator

The transfer-case and steering were left as it is due to lack of time and them being minor issues. With all above closed the vehicle was ready for the trip by 11th July noon.

to be contd...

[vishwaschettri]

Hi Guys,

I plan to undertake road trip to Leh with following itinerary. Please fill in your valuable suggestions

June 1 - Delhi to Manali (Leave in evening)
June 2 - Reach Manali, roam around and prepare for the long trip ahead
June 3 - Leave early for leh, night stay at sarchu
June 4 - Sarchu to Tso - moriri
June 5 - Tso - moriri to Leh
June 6 - Local sight seeing and arrange permits
June 7 - Leh to pangong tso and back
June 8 - Leh to Nubra
June 9 - Stay at Nubra
June 10 - Nubra to leh
June 11 - Leh to sarchu
June 12 - Sarchu to manali
June 13 - Manali to delhi

Please help me with following queries

1. Is permit required for taking own vehicle to rohtang? I heard it was removed from this year
2. Is inner line permit required for Tso moriri? What is the accommodation there? Is there any way to get permit from Manali?
3. Is it possible to go from leh to pangong tso and push from there to tso moriri and then to manali straight? What amount of fuel on would require till keyong to do this?

cheers
vishwas

[codelust]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

1. Is permit required for taking own vehicle to rohtang? I heard it was removed from this year

Don't think this is true. AFAIK, you still need the permit. You have an extra day at Manali and the permit procedure is quite simple. It should not take much time either.

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

2. Is inner line permit required for Tso moriri? What is the accommodation there? Is there any way to get permit from Manali?

Your permits will be checked at Upshi if you're coming from Leh and I think at the Mahe fork too. There's an army camp outside Karzok, they'll check your permits there too.

Last year, from Karzok to Sarchu, I don't seem to remember any other places where they check for anything. But don't venture there without permits.

There are a few hotels and plenty of tent camps at Karzok (the village on the side).

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

3. Is it possible to go from leh to pangong tso and push from there to tso moriri and then to manali straight? What amount of fuel on would require till keyong to do this?

There is a route that allows you to do this, but, unfortunately, it involves the tricky matter of Chushul, for which permits are not being issued these days. I think, only Tanveer (TSK1979) was able to get them in recent times.

You will have to come back Karu, which will get you back to a fueling point. Leh - Pangong - Karu can be done without carrying additional fuel.

[vishwaschettri]

Hi everyone,

First of all huge apologies for not updating this thread regularly. Well actually there wasn't anything to update. Gypsy has been performing flawlessly and starts at first crank every first time. I have taken it to a dozen OTR so far and it performed OK. Still learning to change my JEEP style OTR driving habits.

I am facing issues on two fronts and seek expert advice here

Gypsy used to do some missing occasionally. After a recent OTR wash the guy hosed down the engine as well and it started coughing and sputtering. 2 cylinders were not working at all. My local garage had one look and declared both coils shot.
I have since cleaned the coil connections with WD40 and it is back to its old self. But I want to address this issue for ever. How does one test the coils? I have following options for replacement

1. Second coils at Rs 800 a pair
2. Some 'imported' coils for Rs 1600 a pair
3. MGP coils for Rs 2800 a pair (what brand are these? I think my vehicle has Denso)
4. Lucas coils for Rs 3200 a pair

Out of above only 3 or 4 are acceptable to me, but the cost is a bit high. Are their any performance coils available for Gypsy? I wont mind spending a notch more for these.


Second issue is I had oil leak from front left hub. Recently got it opened to change the oil seal. On closer inspection found the tube to be bent a little. The axle was closer to the lower side of knuckle.
Now this has me surprised. I have done only mild offroading in my Gypsy. There are people who really push the their Gypsies in NIOC. I have also not jumped it either.
Are gypsy differentials are that weak? My questions

1. Is there a way to straighten this one?
2. What is the cost of new differential?
3. What can I do to not bend it again?
4. My mechanic says army differnetials are heavier than civil one and it is better to go for old army ones from Mayapuri if I want to regularly offroad. Any substance in his claim?

HELP

cheers
Vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Over the last weekend decided to swap the coils of my Gypsy with a friends WagonR (Both looked kinda same) to pin point the problem.
The same jerking was reproduced on WagonR while Gypsy ran fine.

With the problem narrowed, took my Gypsy to Ashwini (Chotu) in Gurgaon. He is a well known mechanic in Delhi who specializes in RD. These days he is trying his hands at rallying with a baleno engined Gypsy.

Chotu is a gem of a person. He immediately got my coil swapped with an old set he had and they worked fine. The free play in steering was also adjusted by his boys. All the while we chatted about the rallying scene and India and new bike launches and what not while sipping chai.

Once finished he test drove the gypsy in true rally style while I hung onto my dear life. He suggested to test the vehicle for a few days as old coils might give problem after heating up. He also recommended to buy new coils for best performance.

When I asked for money he said 'Yaar buy new ones and return mine when you can, if you decide to keep these then pay me half of whatever is the price of new ones.

I LEFT WITHOUT PAYING A SINGLE PENNY!!

Tested the Gypsy on last sunday with a mini OTR with friends. Had a 550 and a fortuner (brand new) to accompany. Initially gypsy performed good but after a few hours of high rev ripping started missing a bit.

Have placed order for new Lucas coils. Waiting for them now.

cheers
Vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Some pics from the mini OTR

Entrance to the trail



The gang and rides from left to right - Ex-Army 550, Fortuner 4x4 (Driven straight from showroom), Bank auction Gypsy king & Ex-embassy LC



Deliberating at a steep decent whether to do it or not



While the decent was uneventful, 550 was unable to make up the same trail. Sand was too deep and soft.



Fortuner also cuts its teeth with other veterans on a baby obstacle



But it is wary of the thorny bushes in its path. We had to stop every now and then to pull them aside to save the expensive paint of fortuner. It was able to make its way up after stopping at the crest here, something 550/Gypsy cannot do.




Planning the route ahead



Fortuner stretches its legs some more. This vehicle really impressed with its brute force



Trying to find our way out, seemed like we were lost.



contd...

[vishwaschettri]

Found a nice pond and decided to set up barbecue by its side





After a nice meal on our way out we found a sand pit for some sideways action. Nice place for fortuner to show off its power as no thorny bushes were around.





Finally found the way out


will post some videos shortly.

cheers
Vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Some videos from the mini OTR

Gypsy doing a sharp downhill with some serious articulation


Another video of the same attempt from another angle



550 on the same downhill. Check the articulation.


Another video of the same attempt from another angle



550 downhill on a steep descent


Another video of the same attempt from another angle



550's unsuccessful attempt up on the same descent. The sand here is really soft and deep and the R1 pattern tires don't provide floatation.



A small climb. Offroad initiation of fortuner - both the ride as well as rider. Notice how fortuner stops at the crest fearing the bushes, and is able to make up from there without backing up once bushes as pulled aside. Some serious power this vehicle has



Fortuner attempt to go up a hillock. Sand here is very soft but ruts aren't seep so it was safe for Fortuner



After this warm up Fortuner takes the big one. The owner had some balls to try this insane drop in a brand new 28L vehicle.



A small uphill with soft sand and a sharp right hander at top which made the vehicle lose momentum. Fortuner sailed from here, while Gypsy had to pull up its pant


Another video of same attempt from navigators POV



Pond where we set up the lunch party and ended the excursion


cheers
Vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Thanks a ton Rehaan for editing the post.

May I suggest adding this tip to the tutorial as well which I had followed.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/announ...our-posts.html

thanks
Vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

An update after a long time.

DIY - FITTING A FRONT FACING SEAT ON GYPSY

I was looking to fit a forward facing seat on the Gypsy. As a stopgap measure a Qualis last row seat that does duty in my MM 550 was fitted earlier in Gypsy and it was easily swappable between the two vehicles.

However the Qualis seat was too high and wide for Gypsy and used to rub on the sides of glasses. It was also limiting at times when we took both the vehicles out together. Further the fabrication of frame was not to my liking - both aesthetically and functionally.

The seat would creak when not used and could not be flipped over. Only backrest could be folded. Hence it was decided to buy a separate narrower seat for Gypsy.

Below is my attempt at a photo documentation of the DIY installation.


1. Frame fabricated from 25x50 medium class MS box section at friendly neighbourhood welding shop.



2. Location of anchor points to floor (marked 1&2). Location of anchor points to wheel arch walls (marked 3&4)



3. Frame painted and fitted on the vehicle.

• Fixing detail of seat flip over hinges to frame (marked 1&2).
• Frame anchorage to wheel arch walls (marked 3&4).
• Extra wings added to support seat better with MS angle cleat below for reinforcement (marked in blue)
• Notice the threaded rod used for engaging the seat clamp instead of fixed rod. This provides the flexibility of removing this rod with seat flipped over for clean loading bay.

4. Clamps on seat for fixing onto threaded rod. Notice the pull handle as well



5. With seat erected but back folded down.

• My preferred position when not used for better rearview.
• Notice the hooks which latch onto front seat neck restraint rod so that the seat stays there when flipped over.
• Spare fits snugly below the frame and gets locked into place when seat is erected.
• Cavity in rim holds my offroading kit - tow cable, jumper cable, bow shackles etc.

6. Seat in upright position.

• Limits the rear visibility.
• Notice the sliders on top extremes which let the back fold down.
• These also let the backrest to be adjusted in three different lean position from upright to relaxed.
• Seat has a 70:30 split backrest but not able to exploit it due to seat cover.

Installation is a per my requirement and expectation and after 6 months of road and OTR abuse, it is working absolutely fine.

Time -

• The new seat was bought from Mayapuri in December 2012.
• Installation was done as DIY exercise with indispensable help from my two friends in January 2014! Yes I take my own sweet time to do things my way.
• However once all fixing details, hardware and location was clear in our heads it took us a single day to complete from scratch

Cost -

• Seat - INR 1500 in exchange of both Gypsy bench seats
• Frame - INR 500
• Hardware - INR 800 (TVS Alan bolts were used all around with nylock nuts)
• Paint - INR 50
• Labour - Free

Total cost of DIY - INR 2850

cheers
Vishwas